1Toronto Western Hospital, Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada2Toronto General Hospital, Departments of Medical Imaging and Surgery, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DOI :
10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16680-15.1
Supratentorial hemangioblastomas (HBLs) are exceedingly uncommon. They account for less than 5% of all central nervous system
HBLs. The commonest location is the cerebral cortex. Rarely, they can involve the visual pathway. Most of the reports have focused
on the differential diagnosis, since depending on the location they can often resemble optic nerve gliomas or meningiomas of the
optic nerve sheath. In this study, we describe a 67-year-old man with progressive diminution of vision in the left eye with an optic
nerve hemangioblastoma. There was no history of von Hippel-Lindau disease. We discuss the diagnostic challenges, and review
the visual presentation and visual outcomes in these patients. This report, we believe, may add further clarity in counseling patients
with an optic nerve lesion and the factors in surgical decision-making.
Keywords :
Hemangioblastoma, Optic nerve, Visual acuity, Visual fields, Surgery, Supratentorial